Sanitary pipe washer



Sept 24, 1946.

o. E. STONE SAN'ITARY- PIPE WASHER Filed April 15, 1944 4Sheets-Sheet 1. 4

Inventor .Oeosu E. Srwvz,

Wyn 0 3M Sept. 24, 194e. ,0, E, STONE 2,408,240

SANITARY PIPE WASHER Filed A ril--15, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheei 2 InventorOIEDELL 5703/5,

w mm S p 2 o. E. STONE 2,408,240

SANITARY PIPE WASHER Filed April 15, 1944, 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Inventor0/905 E Sroms,

Sept.- 24, 1946. E. STONE v I SANITARY PIPE WASHER Filed April 15, 19444 Sheets-Sheet 4 VIII/I412! J/II/I/I/I/I/l/I/I/I/II/II/ Patented Sept.24, 1946 OFFICE.

SANITARY PIPE WASHER Ordell E. Stone, Lake Mills, Wis. Application April15, 1944, Serial No. 531,167

This invention relates to new and useful im provements inwasliingapparatus and more particularly to a machine for washing sanitary pipessuch as are used in dairies, creameries and other food handling plants.

The principal object of the "present invention is to provide a machinecapable of accommodating most common sizes of pipes.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a machine whichwill not only be positive acting and time-saving but highly efiicient inthoroughly cleaning pipes. p 1

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent tothe reader of the following description.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevational View of the machine.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the line 4-4of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing one of the pipe supportingblocks.

Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals designate like parts, itcan be seen that numeral 5 denotes an elongated tank for containing asuitable washing solution and this tank is supported by corner legs6,.preferaJb-ly of angle iron construction. Longitudinal members 1connect the legs 6 and platforms 8, 9 bridging these members I serve tosupport an electric motor, which by drive means H drives a compressorl2, which has a pipe connection l3 with a storage tank [4 supported bymembers I. It is preferable that some form of pressure responsive de- 2Claims. (01.- 88) able packing means) -for holding these parts in 7fixed. position with respect to the tank wall.

vice be employed in conjunction with the reservoir M for cutting on orshutting off the com pressor I2 in order to hold the pressure in thereservoir I4 constant.

Leading from the reservoir 14 is an air conduit l5 which connects with athree-way valve it, this valve [6 including a rotatable Valve element H,which is adapted to be rotated by a stem I8 and hand lever [9. (SeeFigure 1.)

From opposite sides ofthe valve 16 pipe sections 20, 2| extend. To oneof the remaining two sides of the valve I6, the conduit l5 connects,while the remaining sides of the valve receives a bushing 22, internallythreaded to accommodate one end portion of a short threaded tube 23which is disposed through one end of the tank 5 and has nuts 24 thereon(with preferably suit- A check valve 25 is provided on the remaining endof the tube 23, so that air can be bled from the pipe section 2| whileair is being supplied to the pipe section 20 with the valve element I!in the position shown in Figure 3. With the valve element turned fromthe position shown, air is bled from pipe section 20 while air is beingsupplied to pipe section 2 l.

The pipe section 20 connects to a T fitting 26 from which an elongatedcylinder 21 extends, substantially the full length of the tank 5 and atthe outside thereof, this cylinder being capped at its outer end as at28. The remaining end. of the T-fitting 26 has a threaded plug 29therein and in this plug is a packing gland 3!] including a compressionscrew 31. The compression screw 3| and the plug-29 have openingstherethrough to accommodate a wire or cable 32, which at one endconnects to an eye 33 on a piston 34 operating in the cylinder 21. Thiscycle extends over a pair of pulleys 35, 36 mounted within a framestructure 31.

' The other end of the cable 32 extends through a packing gland 38 and acompression screw 39 thereforythis gland being located in a plug 40 inone end of a second T-fitting 4| located at the outer end of the pipesection 2|.

A threaded tube 42 extends from the remaining end of the T-fitting 4|and through an opening in the adjacent end wall of the tank 5. Nuts 43,44 are provided on this threaded tube 42 and suitable packing means 45is provided between the nuts and the adjacent sides of the tank wall.

At the tank end of the tube 42 a rubber cup or cone 46 is securedthereto by a clamp 41. It will be noted here, (see Figure 3) that whileone end of the cable 32 connects to a piston 34, the remaining endconnects to a piston 48 by way of an eye 49. The piston 48 has a leatheror rubber wiper 5|] at its outer end-and this end of the piston 48 isconnected by a suitable connector 51 to a brush structure which includesa core 52 and bristles 53 at the periphery thereof.

Along the side walls of the tank 5 are angle iron members 54 forsupporting blocks 55. One of these blocks is shown in Figure 5, the samehaving a small transverse groove 56 at its top side and a larger pipereceiving groove 51 across its bottom side. It is preferable that theangle iron members 54 be in the form of spaced sections, so thatconveniently; the blocks 55 .can be dropped and inverted whenever theneed requires. The blocks 55 can be shifted along the angle iron membersto accommodate pipe of various lengths.

With the different size grooves, diflferent size pipes can beaccommodated.

In the operation of the machine, it can be seen that the desiredsolution is first placed in the tank 5. It is presumed that a. properpressure exists in the reservoir [4. The pipe to be cleaned is fed uponthe blocks 55 and shifted to a position permitting the brush 52 to beinserted in one end thereof, the pipe being shown in Figure 3 anddenoted by reference character A. The pipe is further shifted until theend receiving the brush is brought snugly against the resilient cup 45so that no air pressure will be lost.

The valve element I1 is now rotated, for instance, to the position shownin Figure 3 so that air is delivered to the cylinder 21. This Will force.the piston 34 along the cylinder 21 and air will be expelled through avent 59, in advance of the piston 34. The vent 59 is inwardly from thecap 28, so that as the piston 3% passes the vent 59 the piston will bebrought to a gradual stop due to the cushioning efiect of the air thatis trapped between the .cap and the vent 59.

The reverse operation of the machine takes place when the valve elementI! is turned 90 and air is delivered against the piston 48. The brush 52is driven along the pipe A, as the piston 34 returns to a positionadjacent the T-fi-tting 26 during this operation of the piston 34returning, the air in advance of the same is expelled by way of thecheck valve 25. This back and forth motion of the brush 52 can berepeated as many times as thought-necessary.

While the foregoing specification sets forth the invention in specificterms, it is to be understood that numerous changes in the shape, sizeand ma terials may be resorted to without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention as claimed hereinafter.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a pipe-washing machine, a tank for a washing solution, means insaid tank for supporting a pipe in horizontal position immersed in saidsolution, a brush in said tank for reciprocation in said pipe to forcethe solution through the pipe and fitting in said pipe to brush theinside thereof, and means for reciprocating said brush comprising apiston fitting in said pipe and operatively connected to the brush, acylinder extending alongside the tank, a second piston in said cylinder,pneumatic means for exerting pressure against .the pistons alternatelyto move the same in opposite directions relatively, and operatingconnections between said pistons whereby movement of either piston underpneumatic pressure against the same causes the other piston to move inan opposite direction relative to the direction of movement of thepressure-operated piston.

2. In a pipe-washing machine, a tank for a washing solution, means insaid tank for supporting a pipe in horizontal position immersed in saidsolution, a brush in said tank for reciprocation in said pipe to forcethe solution. through the pipe and fitting in said pipe to brush theinside thereof, means for reciprocating said brush comprising a pistonfitting in said pipe and operatively connected to the brush, a cylinderextending alongside the tank, a second piston in said cylinder, meansfor moving said pistons in one and the same direction alternately underpneumatic pressure, and means for causing each piston during itsmovement in said direction to impart movement to the other piston in arelatively opposite direction.

ORDELL E. STONE.

